The Opelousas courier., 1887-08-06
THE PRAIRIE FIRE,

A few eve rings ago a party of North :
western cattlemen were grouped together
in the rotunda of the Merchants Hotel,
when one of them told this incident.
which has romance enough in it for the
foundation for a novel:
1t was in rs or nc, I don't remem-
Der which, l was in the cattle business
in the Indian Territory, below Medicine
Lodge. had shipped a drove of cattle
to Kansas City, driving them from the
Territory to Wichita, Kansas, and de-
cided to continue on the main line of
the road to Hutchinson, from which
place I would take a horse and ride
down to the territory. The distance
from Hutchinson to Medicine Lodge was
about ninety miles, which could be
leashcd by a hard days ride.
By daylight the next morning /
was in the saddle and riding south. The
day had Teen unusually warm and l had
been riding rather slowly, with a view
OF pushing on faster when it had become
cooler. A breeze sprang up from the
south and Igavc my horse a tap TO urge
him on: but not minding the whip he
started in a diff .rcnt direction than the
one which we had been going. He APP
peared to be uneasy, but / supposed this
was caused from thirst. The sun had
gone down and the wind was increasing,
bringing with it a faint o Tor of burning
grass. As it grew dark l could see a
aickering of light at a distance, but
thought nothing of it. It was not long,
however, before I discovered the cause
the horses unca.ilc Stretching
from right to left. apparently ina semi
circle, was a streak of fire, and / at
once realized that ] wal in a dangerous
position.
There was no way to escape except to
turn back, and ! was 10th to do that. IL
stood still some time undecided what to
do. It would be foolish to think oil try.
ing TO break through this sweeping wall
Of fire. Turning the horses head in the
direction from which we came / let him
have the reins. He needed no urging
and covered the ground in fine style. ]
looked back, aud was dismayed to see
that cvsn as fast as VIC were going the
was gaining on US. Giving the horse
a sharp cut with the whip he gave a
lunge forward, but fell, throwing me
over his head. He lad stepped into a
dogs hole and broken a leg.
that he could 60 no. further Idrew
my revolver and ended his life.
The fire wa now less than a mile from
me, coming before a terrible wind. the
falnes icaping high in the air. By the
IigEt I could sec q small hill q few hun
1red yards away, and my only hope was
q reach that, perhaps finding shelter On
he opposite side. I put forth my best
efforts, but before covering hale tho dis
i could hear the roar Of The flames
feel the heat, while the smoke was
'~uffscatingg. Making 4 terrible effort
TO my feet for a few seconds more.
md then consciousness left me.
When ! awoke il was morning, ana
bending over M was 4 young woman.
Remembering what 4 had passed through,
NJ first impression was that ! was dead
in-well, where We all want 10 60
ome time. But | soon found out nv
and discovered that / was in q
ave dug in the side of i hill. III firing (
the fire my last step had brought /
70 the doc; and, falling, had forced
! Opeu. The young woman was ii !,
reat distress ana told me that she |
cared her husbasd had been caught III /
BE pra;rie fire. She told me her history i
briefly, saying that she was ! /
fphaa, had been married but i short i
ana came from tho East with llcr !
assand p make i home: Il husbpass j